THE COUNT RETURNS

[MCVDK 2830]

THE COUNT RETURNS;

the ENDING OF THE REGENCY OF ALDERSBERG.

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𝕿he horn’s call rose faintly through the misty dawn, trembling and uncertain. It was enough to send villagers to their doors, faces etched with fear and disbelief as they looked toward the edge of the forest. And there, breaking through the last shreds of shadow beneath the towering trees, a lone figure stumbled forward, his frame stooped and weary. Mateusz Marcin Sarkozic, Count of Aldersberg, had returned.

 

The castle guards moved swiftly, reaching him with a mix of shock and reverence. His once-proud bearing was worn down, his clothes ragged and his face gaunt, like a man who had been walking without rest. Word spread quickly through the castle grounds, and by the time Mateusz was brought to the gates, Kasandra was already there, her hands clutching her shawl, her expression a raw blend of relief and horror.

 

“Mateusz,” she whispered as she approached, her voice trembling as she struggled to comprehend the sight of her brother, whom they had all thought lost. She placed her hand on his arm, feeling the cold, the hardness of muscle reduced by weeks of wandering. His eyes flickered to hers, but there was a strange vacancy in them, as though he were seeing her from somewhere far away.

 

She took his hand in hers, pulling him close, guiding him through the halls with a gentle firmness. He allowed himself to be led, his steps slow and uncertain, his gaze drifting to the stone walls, the tapestries, the familiar details of his own home as though seeing them for the first time.

 

Once in his chambers, Kasandra urged him into a chair by the fire. He sank into it, his shoulders sagging as he leaned toward the warmth. She watched him, her own hands clutched tightly as if to steady herself.

 

“Where have you been, Mateusz?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “We looked for you… we searched every corner of the forest.”

 

He stared into the flames, a frown slowly forming, as if he were trying to draw words from a place that had grown murky and dim. “I was lost, Kasandra,” he said finally, his voice hoarse. “I kept thinking I’d find my way back… but the forest seemed endless. Every path led deeper… as though the way out kept slipping from reach.”

 

Kasandra knelt beside him, a sense of dread settling over her as she looked into his eyes. They were distant, his gaze unfocused, bearing the weight of things unspoken. She knew her brother well, knew him as a man of unbreakable resolve, yet here he was, shaken in a way she had never seen.

 

“What happened out there?” she pressed, her voice gentle.

 

His hand reached for hers, grasping it with a surprising strength. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “Days blurred together. I wandered, hoping to find something familiar, but every path… I don’t even know how long it was. Hours? Days? I could hear the sounds of the search parties calling, but somehow… somehow, they always seemed too far; like I was in the same place, but unreachable.”

 

Kasandra felt a chill move through her. She had heard the whispers, the tales woven through the villages, that he had been taken by something, that he had wandered into a space where reason did not reach. But she had dismissed them, and had refused to believe that anything beyond the tangible could be responsible. Now, seeing the look in his eyes, she could feel her own faith in reason wavering.

 

She gave his hand a comforting squeeze, grounding him, bringing him back to the warmth of the fire, to the solid reality of the room around them. “You’re home now,” she said, as much to herself as to him. “That’s all that matters. Rest, Mateusz. Let us worry about the rest.”

 

Mateusz’s shoulders eased, a semblance of peace settling over his features. He let his eyes close, his body finally relaxing into the familiarity of his own chamber.

 

Kasandra lingered, watching him, the warmth of relief mixed with a sense of something unresolved. The forest had kept him, she realized, in some strange way; it had closed its paths around him, withholding him from them. He was back now, but she could not shake the feeling that something had changed, that a part of him had been altered in ways that neither of them could fully understand.

 

For that night, however, she was content to let the questions fade, allowing herself to believe, if only for a moment, that the ordeal had ended with his return.

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DECLARATION OF RESTORATION OF AUTHORITY TO COUNT MATEUSZ SARKOZIC

 

Proclaimed this fourteenth day of Horen’s Calling, in the Year of Our Two Thousand and Three 

 

To all subjects of Aldersberg, and to those who hold faith in the House of Sarkoz:

 

It is with great joy and solemn reverence that we proclaim the return of Count Mateusz Sarkozic, rightful ruler of Aldersberg. After his absence, which had called upon his noble sister, Lady Kasandra Sarkozic, to serve as Regent, the Count has resumed his station and is once more prepared to govern his lands.

 

Thus, in accordance with the ancient laws and in gratitude for Lady Kasandra’s steadfast stewardship, the Regency is hereby lifted, and all rights, duties, and honors are returned unto Count Mateusz. May his hand guide Aldersberg to renewed strength and prosperity.

 

So let it be known, under witness of the Elder Council of Aldersberg and in trust of the Almighty.

 

Signed with the Seal of the Count of Aldersberg.

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